Of Moths and Flies

I was reading “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding the other day and in the end the protagonist (a 12 year old boy) weeps at the end of innocence – the growing-up of the child and the realization that a harsh reality waits for him on the other side.

Now having come out of College I see the connection – the bid bad man-kill-man world out there where no stone is left unturned to achieve one’s ambitions is for real! Working is so unlike education in that the only one who cares about where you go and what you achieve is YOU….no professors, no friends, no mentors. Also in education, your only real responsibility is to learn. At work, your responsibility is to get the work done…learning may or may not follow. In a way, graduating from college is like an end of the era of innocence.

During one of my deep thought sessions at the office balcony, I was observing a moth – flying away at the sign of a slight disturbance, never ever settling down in one place, always dynamic – even though this dynamic lifestyle can be really disturbing, it is the only way it can survive. I guess the same applies for us.. even though we might not be ready for change, we always need to keep looking for it – again graduating to the real world is a change that has to happen

I remember this old adage (which now adorns my desktop as my wallpaper)

Ships are safe in harbor, but that is not what ships are made for

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4 thoughts on “Of Moths and Flies”

I haven’t read Lord of the Flies, but I hope to in the next year (along with all the other classics).

I actually had a friend reference this quote the other day, mentioning how I need to stop planning and worrying and just take action. It’s so true – we’re all beautiful ships with all this potential, but it means nothing if we never set sail. Great post! 🙂